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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. G. PELLNER & C. ZIEGL'ER. I I KILN FOR DRYING 0B. BAKING PURPOSES.No. 455,192. Patented June 30,1891.

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H Q Q m A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. C. FELLNER & O. ZIEGLER. 4 KILN FOB.DRYING 0R BAKING PURPOSES.

No. 455,192. Patented June 30,1891.

' (No Model.)

@x W i V a 1 UNITEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANN CHRISTIAN FELLNER AND CARL ZIEGLER, OF BOCKENHEIM,

. GERMANY.

KILN FOR DRYING OR BAKING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,192, dated June30,1891.

Application filed December 22,1890. Serial No. 375,506- (No model.)Patented in Germany J'uly l7 1888, No. 47,113; in England April 25, 1889, No. 6.938, and in Austria-Hungary May 4, 1889, No. 20,197.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHANN CHRISTIAN FELLNER and CARL ZIEGLER,citizens of Germany, both residing at Bockenheim, nearFrankfort-ou-the-lvlain, in the Empire of Germany, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Kilns or Ovens for Drying or Baking Purposes,(for which the same has been partly patented to us by Letters Patent inGreat Britain, dated April 25, 1889, No. 6,938; in Germany, dated July17, 1888, No. 47,113, and in Austria-Hungary, dated May 4:, 1889, No.20,197,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to kilns or ovens for drying or baking purposes,consisting of a long horizontal tunnel or passage, into one end of whichthe materials to be dried or baked are introduced on trucks or travelingplatforms, while at the other end hot air is introduced so as to travelto a chimney at the first-named end in the contrary direction to themotion of the materials to be dried or baked, thus causing the materialsfrom which most moisture has already been extracted to be brought intocontact with the entering dry hot air, while the moist materials thathave been freshly introduced are brought in contact with air which hasalready taken up a considerable amount of moisture, whereby the heatedair is utilized in the most effective manner.

Our present inv ention relates to an improved construction of such kilnsand of the traveling platform employed in combination therewith, whichwe will proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section; Fig. 2, across-section, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan. Figs. 4 and 5 show,respectively, a part sectional elevation and cross-section of a modifledarrangement of the carrying-wheels.

A is the tunnel-shaped kiln, closed at each end by vertically-slidingdoors B B and provided at the one end with apparatus 0 for producing asupply of hot air, while the other end communicates at D with achimney-flue. While the hot air is made to travel along the kiln towardD, the traveling platform is made to travel in the contrary direction,so that the freshly introduced materials will come in contact with theair after it has taken up a certain amount of moisture, while thematerials that have traversed through the length of the kiln will nearthe front end be brought in contact with the entering dry heated air,which will consequently effectually take up the remaining moisture ofthe goods.

The apparatus for heating the air-supply, as here shown, consists of afurnace F, of any suitable construction, from which a metal flue G isled through a chamber H H to a chimney at I. The air-supply enters thelower compartment H at J, being, if necessary, a blown in by a fan orair-pump, and in passing along in the direction of the arrow in contactwith the hot flue G it becomes heated to the requisite degree, and inrising at the end of compartment H into compartment H en- 7c ters thekiln A through the openings at a. We have found it of advantage to admitthe hot air into the kiln through a number of openings Cb a, extendingsome distance along the bottom, instead of through a single largeopening at or near the end. By regulating the heat of the furnace andthe volume of air blown in by the fan the quantity of air and the degreeto which it is heated can be regulated to exact amount required.

In some cases it may be sufficient merely to use the natural draft ofthe chimney at D for producing the current of air through the kiln; butin most cases artificial draft will be advantageous. 8 The travelingplatform on which the materials to be dried or baked are led through thekiln is composed of platform-sections E and of pairs of flanged wheels KK, mounted on axles K and adapted to run upon rails L L, laid on thebottom of the furnace. These pairs of wheels are maintained at equal distances apart during their travel by means of rods M M, one end of whichis formed as an eye embracing the axle close against the in- 5 ner sideof each wheel, while the other end is formed as an open loop or hookwhich is hooked onto the axle of the next pair of wheels,

the rods being bent inward sufficiently at the hooked ends to enablethese to hook onto the axle on the inner side of the eyes of its rods,as shown at the cross-section, Fig. 2.. The platform-sections E haverails N fixed to their under sides, by means of which they rest on theupper part of the periphery of the wheels K, the sections being eitherformed as boxes, trays, or otherwise, as may be desired.

It will be seen that as the platform-sections run with rails upon thewheels, while these also run upon rails, the whole system will beaccurately guided in its motion. There are provided at each end of thekiln two or more rollers O O,the axes of which run in bearings at thesides of the kiln and which are arranged at such a height that theplatform-sections can be slid from outside trucks P onto them and thenfrom the rollers onto the wheels K. The floor of the kiln, together withthe rails L, is made with a drop underneath the rollers O, as shown, soas to leave room below the latter for the axles K, with their wheels K,to pass into and out of the kiln.

It will be seen that with the above-described construction of travelingplatform the advantages are gained, first, that the pl'atform sections Ecan butt closely against each other, as shown, thus economizing thespaces required at the ends of ordinary trucks for buffers; secondly, asthere are no trunnions of the axles working in axlebo'xes, alllubrication is dispensed with, and consequently the resistance to motioncaused by the eloggin g of such lubricant when subject to heat isobviated.

As the pairs of wheels come out of the kiln at the front end they areuncoupled from the forks of the rods M belonging to the next pair ofwheels within the kiln, as shown, and are then conveyed back to the rearend of the kiln again to be attached by the hooks of their rods to theaxle of the first pair of wheels in the kiln. The issuingplatform-section is received upon a truck P, and after having itscontents discharged and charged afresh it is conveyed back to the rearend of the kiln. To facilitate these operations, the trucks P haverollers 12 1) fixed upon them, on which the platform-sections arereceived, and it runs on rails Q, placed transversely to those on whichthe wheelsK run, and turn-tables B being provided, by which the trucks,as also the wheels K, can be transferred from one line to another forconveying them back to the other end of the kiln, for which purpose theyare run along an external line of rails Q.

In some cases, where the heat employed in r the kiln is moderate, weemploy in place of the movable pairs of wheels K pairs of wheels T,Figs. 4: and 5, the axles of which are carried in fork-shaped supportsU, fixed at equal distances apart on longitudinal bearers V within thekiln, the platform-sections E being made to run with rails on the topsof these wheels, as before.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means weknow for carrying the same into practical effect, we claim- 1. Thecombination, in a kiln or oven, of a horizontal tunnel or shaft havingits opposite ends sunk or depressed,a series of rotating wheels in thetunnel or shaft, a series of rollers O, suspended in fixed bearings overthe sunk or depressed ends of the tunnel or shaft, and a series ofplatform-sections E, having rigidly-united side rails traveling on thewheels in the tunnel or shaft, said suspended rollers being arranged atsuch height above the sunk or depressed ends of the tunnel or shaft thatthe platform-sections travel over such suspended rollers into and out ofthe tunnel or shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a kiln or oven, of a horizontal tunnel or shaft,means for supplying a heating medium at one end of the tunnel, a chimneyor flue at the other end thereof, and a traveling platform within thekiln or oven, consisting of sets of wheels traveling along the length ofthe tunnel and platformsections having attached rails which restdirectly against the peripheries of the sets of wheels that travel alongthe tunnel, so that the rails of the platform-sections run upon and arepropelled by the wheels which travel along the length of the tunnel,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, in a kiln or oven, of a horizontal tunnel or shaftcontaining rails, means for, supplying a heating medium at one end ofthe tunnel, a chimney or flue at the opposite end thereof, a travelingplatform consisting of sets of wheels held at uniform distances apartand traveling along the rails in the tunnel and platform-sections havingrails resting directly upon the peripheries of the traveling wheels, sothat the rails of the platform-sections travel upon and are propelled bythe wheels which traverse the rails in the tunnel, a series of rollers journaled in fixed bearings at each end of the tunnel, and a sunk portionof the rails at each end of the tunnel below said rollers for enablingthe traveling wheels on the rails to pass in and out beneath therollers, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a kiln or oven, of a horizontal tunnel or shaftprovided with a sunk or depressed portion at each end, a travelingplatform consisting of pairs of wheels mounted on axles and travelingalong the length of the tunnel or shaft, rods connecting the axles andholding them at equal distances apart, and platform-sections resting onthe peripheries of the traveling wheels, so that the platform-sectionstravel on and are propelled by wheels which traverse the tunnel, androllers fixed at the ends of the tunnel or shaft directly above the sunkor depressed portions thereof at a height corresponding to the height ofthe platform-sections, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a kiln or oven, of a tunnel, sets of wheelstraveling along'the length of the tunnel and mounted on axles, a seriesof rods or bars jointed to one axle and having a detachable connectionwith the adjacent axle, so that all the sets of wheels are detachablyconnected and held at uniform distances apart, and platform-sectionsresting upon and propelled by the peripheries of the wheels which travelalong the length of the tunnel, substantially as described.

6. In kilns or ovens for drying or baking materials by heated air,apparatus for heating the air-supply, consisting of a furnace, a fineleading from the furnace through the lower compartment of an air-heatingchamber to a chimney, an air-inlet to said lower com-

